MINISTERIAL COUNCIL ON EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING AND YOUTH AFFAIRS
The Hon. D. F. MOPPETT: Will the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Minister for Tourism and Minister Assisting the Premier inform the House of the success of the recent meeting of the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs? Will the Minister assure the House of the success of this meeting for the people of New South Wales?
The Hon. VIRGINIA CHADWICK: Only a week or so ago the first meeting of the new ministerial council was held. That ministerial council was formed following a heads of government meeting, which amalgamated a number of ministerial councils. The meeting of the council, which has the most ungainly acronym of MCEETYA, was a success. It was able to advance a significant number of education, training and youth affairs issues. One issue, which I think will be of great interest to our Parliament and our State, is a determination to establish a national gender equity task force to look not only at the education of girls - which is an ongoing matter for the council - but also at the emerging issue of boys' education and educational opportunities.
I, on behalf of this State, enthusiastically supported this proposal because it fits in well with steps that have recently been taken by my department and my ministerial advisory committee, which is chaired ably by my colleague in another place Stephen O'Doherty, the honourable member for Ku-ring-gai.
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He is looking at those issues on our behalf. By the time of the next meeting of MCEETYA in October education initiatives in New South Wales will be well advanced. The initiatives, which have been undertaken by New South Wales, have been enthusiastically supported and adopted by the Federal Government and other State governments.